E-doping: eSports has a drug problem

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• November 30, 2022

Insight summary

As eSports competition heats up, players are increasingly turning to nootropics, or "smart drugs," to boost their gaming skills, a trend known as e-doping. This practice raises questions about fairness and health, leading to varied responses from organizations, with some enforcing drug tests and others lagging behind in regulation. The evolving landscape of e-doping in eSports could reshape the sport's integrity and influence broader attitudes towards performance enhancement in competitive environments.

E-doping context

eSports players are increasingly resorting to the use of nootropic substances to keep their reflexes sharp during high-stakes video gaming competitions. Doping is the act of athletes taking illegal substances to improve their performances. Similarly, e-doping is the act of players in eSports taking nootropic substances (i.e., smart drugs and cognitive enhancers) to enhance their gaming performance.

For example, since 2013, amphetamines like Adderall have been increasingly used to gain better focus, improve concentration, reduce fatigue, and induce calmness. Overall, e-doping practices may provide unfair advantages to players and can cause dangerous effects in the long term.

To combat e-doping, the Electronic Sports League (ESL) collaborated with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to develop an anti-doping policy in 2015. Numerous eSports teams further partnered up to form the World E-Sports Association (WESA) to ensure that all events supported by WESA would be free from such practices. Between 2017 and 2018, the Philippian government and the FIFA eWorldcup took measures to make required drug testing, making players subject to the same anti-doping tests as regular sportspeople. However, many videogame developers have yet to address the issue in their events, and as of 2021, few regulations or stringent testing are stopping players in more minor leagues from using nootropics.

Disruptive impact 

The escalating pressure on eSports players to enhance their performance and training intensity is likely to drive an upsurge in the use of performance-enhancing drugs, commonly referred to as e-doping. As competition intensifies, the inclination to use such substances may increase, especially if decisive actions to curb this trend are not implemented promptly. This anticipated rise in e-doping could significantly impact the integrity and perception of eSports, possibly leading to a loss of credibility among its fan base and stakeholders. 

The implementation of mandatory drug testing in eSports leagues presents a potential challenge, particularly in terms of the power dynamics it could create. Major organizations might have the resources to comply with these regulations, whereas smaller entities may struggle with the financial and logistical aspects of enforcing testing protocols. This disparity could lead to an uneven playing field, where larger organizations gain an advantage not solely based on skill but also on their capacity to adhere to these regulations. 

The ongoing issue of e-doping in eSports is likely to prompt action from various stakeholders, including game developers and government bodies. Game developers, who benefit from the popularity and success of eSports, may feel compelled to engage more actively in this issue to protect their investments and the sport's integrity. Additionally, the trend towards treating e-gamers with the same scrutiny as traditional athletes in terms of anti-doping regulations is expected to grow. More countries may introduce stricter measures to regulate the use of performance-enhancing drugs, thereby aligning eSports more closely with the standards observed in conventional sports. 

Implications of e-doping 

Wider implications of e-doping may include:

• More organizations mandating supplement testing to protect and reduce e-doping.


• The rise of eSports players acquiring severe health issues due to the long-term effects of dopants.


• Many players continuing to use over-the-counter supplements to assist in productivity and alertness. 


• More eSports players, are removed from playing due to e-doping scandals uncovered through mandatory testing. 


• Some players retiring early as they may not be able to cope with the increased competition the unfair advantage causes.


• The development of new nootropic drugs that feature improved effectiveness and non-traceability, driven by the demand from the booming eSports sector.


• These drugs gaining significant secondary adoption by students and white-collar workers operating in high-stress environments.

Questions to consider

• How else do you think e-doping can be monitored and reduced?


• How can players be protected from e-doping pressures in gaming environments?